Weight Loss (Bariatric) Surgical Procedures

Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass:

In this operation, there are three steps:?First, the stomach is stapled into a small gastric pouch about the size of a tennis ball.Next, the small intestine (the jejunum) is divided, and the downstream end of this division is connected to the gastric pouch. The upstream end is then plugged back into the intestine about 3 feet further downstream. The small gastric pouch will cause patients to get full faster, and the bypass of the remainder of the stomach and first portion of the small intestine will cause patients to digest inefficiently. Both of these lead to weight loss. Patients can expect to lose up to 70% of their pounds over their ideal body weight. This operation is performed laparoscopically by Dr. Romanelli and Dr. Kuhn, and is performed with robotic assistance by Dr. Romanelli.

Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy:

Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy is the newest weight loss surgery option. Similar to the gastric band, the concept of the sleeve is that the stomach will rapidly fill to the top because the part of the stomach that stretches has been removed. This allows patients to get full very early into the meal, reducing their portion size while taking in fewer overall calories. The one unique characteristic about sleeve gastrectomy is that it is permanent - the remainder of the stomach is removed and taken out of the body (as opposed to gastric bypass, where it is disconnected from the gastric pouch but left in the body). The patient can expect to lose up to 60% of their pounds over their ideal body weight. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is currently performed by Dr. Romanelli and Dr. Kuhn.